NASHUA TELEGRAPH ENDORSES BETTE LASKY FOR STATE SENATE, DISTRICT 13

Wednesday October 29, Nashua Telegraph Endorsement of Bette Lasky:

Lasky has earned another term in the Senate

Telegraph Editorial

Nashua voters would do well to return Bette Lasky to the New Hampshire Senate when they go to the polls Nov. 4. Lasky is a Democrat in her second go-round as a state senator representing District 13, which includes Wards 3, 4, 6, 7, 8 and 9 in the city. Before her election to the Senate, she represented the city for 10 years in the House and served 17 years on the city Planning Board.She is among the Senate’s quietest members – not much given to tooting her own horn – but what she lacks in splash, she makes up for in consistency. She is among the Senate’s most liberal members. She favors increasing the state’s minimum wage, abolishing the death penalty, bringing casino gambling to the state and providing more funding for higher education. She has also been a champion of women’s rights, domestic violence protections and economic development tax credits, among other things.She also knows how to get things done. According to the Senate website, Lasky sponsored 55 bills in the last biennium. More than a dozen of those became law – a strong indication that she is able to work with Republicans to get things done and that they are willing to work with her.Nashua residents could do a lot worse than to have Bette Lasky representing them in Concord. She is a hardworking, effective advocate for her city – and she has earned another term.

Thursday October 23, Nashua Telegraph Letter To The Editor:

Lasky a great choice for Senate

I am not going to vote Democrat in the upcoming election. Or Republican, either. In any race. I never vote Republican or Democrat. I vote for people.I vote for the people who appear to have done their homework on the issues most important to me (whether they always agree with me or not), who have a track record of civil service (with “civil” as the operative word), and who get things done.With that in mind, my personal choice for District 13 state senator is easy: Bette Lasky.That Bette is identified as a Democrat is irrelevant, as far as I am concerned. What is relevant is that Bette can best be identified as a diligent, intelligent and thoughtful person who works for the things people like you and I think are important: good education, the return of passenger rail to southern New Hampshire, jobs and economic vitality, balanced budgets and empowerment across the board for all people.We could use a few more people like Bette up in Concord. I hope you will vote to keep her there, working for the future of Nashua and New Hampshire.Casey HoltNashua

Sunday October 19, Nashua Telegraph Op-Ed:

Lasky | From schools to economic growth, a belief in the good government can do

by Bette Lasky

On a bright, warm summer day, I waited in the Statehouse for the governor to come out to sign a bill that I sponsored. I greeted a few constituents and colleagues and was chatting about the bill when one of them rushed up, hugged me and started to cry. As I hugged her back, she seemed overwhelmed with happiness. She shared her story with me. With this bill being signed into law, her lawyer told her that they will have the legal means for her to gain visitation rights and she will be able to see the child she has not seen in nine years. Because there aren’t many occasions where a legislator has the opportunity to see what their work might accomplish, this event has meant so much to me. It is rare you get to experience the gratitude of an individual who feels as though your work has helped to change their life in a way they never thought possible. I have spent the majority of my legislative career on the Judiciary Committee, and as such, have dealt with the expansion and protection of civil rights. I’ve championed civil unions, which led to marriage equality. I have worked hard to protect a woman’s right to make her own health care decisions. Just this past session, I worked on and sponsored bills to protect victims of domestic abuse. I’m also very proud of the part I was able to play in attaining the right of equal pay for an equal day’s work by passing the Paycheck Fairness Act.Since my days on the Nashua City Planning Board, I have been a proponent and outspoken advocate for bringing commuter rail to Nashua. I know there is solid support among my constituents for this, and I worked with my colleagues to pass the bill that established the Rail Transit Authority.I’ve been able to establish an excellent working relationship with our Greater Nashua Chamber of Commerce, which has enabled me to pass bills that have helped grow and strengthen our business environment. Not only do we want our business community to grow, but first and foremost we must ensure that our children get a quality education and the preparation they need to compete in our modern workforce. I have fought for Nashua to receive its full share of state education funding and have consistently supported our city’s hard-working teachers.I believe in the good that government can do. Helping the many citizens who are often forgotten, but most in need of our help, is something to which I remain dedicated.Over the years, I’ve seen politics change. People, many with good reason, do not trust their elected officials. I was told early on that the most valuable thing that I could do as a legislator was, above all, to keep my word. Over the course of my legislative career that has been foremost in my mind. I work with my colleagues in all parties, because that is how you get results. Sometimes my efforts are rewarded and sometimes it doesn’t work out that way. When my efforts to compromise have failed, I agree to disagree and continue on to the next goal. Partisanship can defeat success, and I believe my representation of Nashua in Concord is not about parties, but about people. My agenda is the people of Nashua’s agenda. They have sent me to Concord and it is an honor to be entrusted with their dreams of a prosperous future. I remember that every time I get on the Everett Turnpike, heading north. We need to build on the progress that Nashua and our state have made. I want to continue to work to ensure that our city remains a vibrant community where families want to live and businesses want to locate and stay. Your vote is important. On Nov. 4, vote for Bette Lasky for New Hampshire State Senate, District 13, so we can continue moving Nashua and New Hampshire forward together.